SPRINGFIELD -- As women stopped by the De La Sidra vendor table to ask about the colorful and beautifully woven bags, business owner Lillian Novoa was overwhelmed with emotion.

"This has been my dream since I was ten years old in Guatemala and a young girl who was about eight gave me a beautiful piece of woven fabric as a gift," said Novoa, a native of Guatemala and Bay Path University alumni who sells pieces woven by women and girls in the central American country. She was one of many vendors participating in the university's 23rd annual Women's Leadership Conference, held at the MassMutual Center Friday. This year's theme was "Be Curious."

Bay Path University President Carol A. Leary said she spoke with one participant who was supposed to return to work, but chose to stay the whole day.

"She said 'I had to be here today because I have learned so much that I am going to take away and use to feel good about myself'," Leary said.

She said the annual conference is an opportunity for women to grow, learn and share life experiences with each other.

The day long conference offers women and men an opportunity to hear from women in successful careers offer talks about everything from increasing productivity to a presentation by Cy Wakeman, president and founder of Reality-Based Leadership, on "Ditching the Drama" for a successful career and life.

The morning kicked off with the first ever BOLD Woman Award, given to US Olympic Gold medalist and Westfield native Kacey Bellamy followed by opening remarks by Amy Cuddy, a social psychologist who teaches at Harvard Business School and is a New York Times bestselling author.

Cuddy talked about being bullied for her research and the importance of showing young women strong and powerful role models.

"We should be showing them images of women who are unapologetic, poised, powerful and strong," she said.

In between sessions the participants could shop with local vendors, including many woman-owned businesses like De La Sidra.

Novoa teamed up with Precious Hands, a cooperative in Guatemala that works with young girls and women so they can sell their woven goods and earn a living. She said her business is about promoting independence for women as well as keeping the tradition of weaving alive.

"This is about women's livelihood, about tradition, about ancestral weaving, community and sustainability," she said.

The conference culminated with a conversation with Lena Waithe, an actor, producer and writer who, in 2017, became the first African-American woman to win an Emmy Award for Comedy Writing for her work on Netflix's "Master of None."

Walking up to the stage to meet Leary, Waithe was greeted with a standing ovation.

"This is how I want all my speaking engagements to start from now on, with people clapping and smiles before we even start," she said.

Waithe talked about her life growing up in Chicago, her experiences in Hollywood and her latest project, a starring role in Steven Spielberg's "Ready Player One."

"He has become a very important part of my life... he reminds me that being great and being kind don't have to be two separate things," she said. "I'm always striving for greatness, but the thing he reminds me of is that you can also be a genuine, generous, kind human being."

She also talked about the shows that influenced her growing up from "A Different World," to "Golden Girls," which she would watch with her grandmother.

"There were a lot of different forms of comedy that shaped my writing from big, loud scenes, to quiet moments," she said.

Even with all of her success in television and film, Waithe said ultimately people are equal no matter what they accomplish in life.